Dishwasher buying guide: integrated or freestanding, and which specs matter

Dishwashers split into two worlds before you've compared a single feature. Freestanding machines stand on their own with a finished front; integrated machines sit behind a cabinet door that matches your kitchen. The mechanical guts are often identical. The price and the buying process are not.

Freestanding

Cheaper for the same internals, easier to install, easier to take with you when you move, and far more heavily discounted because retailers sell more of them. If your kitchen has a gap and you don't mind seeing the machine, this is the value choice. Widths are standard at 60 cm full-size and 45 cm slimline.

Integrated

Fully integrated means the door is completely hidden; semi-integrated leaves the control panel visible. You need a matching door panel (usually £60 to £120 from your kitchen supplier) and a competent fitter, and the manufacturer's dimensions must match the cabinet aperture exactly. Discounts are shallower because volumes are lower. The trade-off is a kitchen that looks finished.

The specs that change daily life

Place settings. 13 to 14 is a full-size machine. 9 to 10 is slimline. Don't buy a slimline for a family of four; it runs twice a day and wears out early.

Noise. Quoted in decibels. 44 dB or below is quiet enough to run during dinner in an open-plan room. 48 dB is noticeable. Above 50 dB you'll close the door. Bosch and Miele lead here; budget brands sit around 49 to 52.

Third rack. A shallow top tray for cutlery frees the lower basket. Once you've had one you won't go back. It's on most mid-range machines now.

Auto-open drying. The door pops open at the end of the cycle to let steam out. Dishes come out dry without a heater element, which also saves energy. Worth having.

Energy rating. A dishwasher used four times a week costs £30 to £50 a year to run. A rating one letter better saves perhaps £8 a year. Don't pay much for it.

What you don't need

Wi-Fi control adds nothing to a machine you load and switch on. "Zeolite" drying and similar branded technologies are real but marginal. Half-load buttons are on everything and rarely used.

Price

A good freestanding full-size machine from Bosch, Beko or Hisense sits between £300 and £450 at normal prices and drops below £300 in sales. Integrated adds £80 to £150 for the equivalent machine. Miele starts around £700 and rarely discounts. Check the price history on the deal page before deciding a sale is a sale.